SAHM's...Need advice
brit4896
Posts: 58 Member
Hi ladies!! I was wondering how y'all make time for kids, housework and trying to stay or get fit?? It's all so exhausting! I'm trying to walk on treadmill during naptime, (that is when my kids do take naps) I have a lot of weight to lose and it just seems impossible when I have all this stuff to do with kids, cleaning the house cooking meals etc.
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I think nap time is a good idea, or take them with you on a walk or just run around with them. I put on music and we also dance around sometimes. Mine are school aged now so its easier to find the time.0
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It's really not about the workout. Housework is 10 times more cardiovascular than standard exercise. It's the food choices and calories that really matter.0
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1stplace4health wrote: »It's really not about the workout. Housework is 10 times more cardiovascular than standard exercise. It's the food choices and calories that really matter.
Honestly I lost weight when my kids started preschool but what helped me the most is finding a good gym with babysitting but they had to be old enough not to scream every time I dropped them off (I tried when they were 2.5... no dice). But having a treadmill at home must definitely help.
In the end though you can't outrun a bad diet, however I'd never have lost the weight I lost without exercise, as it lets me eat more, and I have a big appetite.0 -
When my kids were younger and not in school, I used to go jogging when my husband got home from work. Or you can go to a 24 hour gym, or just put on some music and dance around with the kids for a half hour every day.0
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they had to be old enough not to scream every time I dropped them off (I tried when they were 2.5... no dice).
Oh gosh yes... I could never leave my oldest in one of those gym nurseries because she would SCREAM her head off the entire time. Then I could not concentrate because I was so worried about her.0 -
So I apologize if this seems rude, but why is this posed as a SAHM issue. The fact is that anyone with kids knows it can be challenging to find time for a workout it really comes down to wether you make it a priority or not. I work, so I get up an hour and a half before my kids and husband do so I can make it to the gym and back. The it's getting everyone up and ready for their day It sucks but I have chosen to make it a priority to work out so I do.0
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Why can't you work out while the kid(s) are awake? I don't do anything crazy, but I can do my walk away the fat video when my daughter is hanging out with me. Sometimes she does it with me, other times she plays with her toys or colors with crayons or whatever. But in reality, what you eat is going to help you lose weight more reliably than exercising.0
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When I worked full time I always worked out after I got home while my husband took the kids outside and played, etc. Now that I stay home, I typically do my workout right in my living room about 2hrs after morning school drop off while my daughter plays around (she's 2) in the same room. It really is very doable. You just have to make it a point to set aside x-amount of time each day for yourself and what you need to do.0
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hsmith0930 wrote: »Why can't you work out while the kid(s) are awake? I don't do anything crazy, but I can do my walk away the fat video when my daughter is hanging out with me. Sometimes she does it with me, other times she plays with her toys or colors with crayons or whatever. But in reality, what you eat is going to help you lose weight more reliably than exercising.
To answer that - for me it never worked because there's no room to workout in the family room, the only place was the guest room (which is now a huge mess too, but whatever, the kids broke my dumbbells anyway
), which is out of the way, so there was just no way for me to workout when the kids were up.
But yeah I did wake up early during Summer break to get my workout done before my husband left for work, and often before everyone got up, so that's certainly doable if you want it enough.0 -
hsmith0930 wrote: »Why can't you work out while the kid(s) are awake? I don't do anything crazy, but I can do my walk away the fat video when my daughter is hanging out with me. Sometimes she does it with me, other times she plays with her toys or colors with crayons or whatever. But in reality, what you eat is going to help you lose weight more reliably than exercising.
To answer that - for me it never worked because there's no room to workout in the family room, the only place was the guest room (which is now a huge mess too, but whatever, the kids broke my dumbbells anyway ), which is out of the way, so there was just no way for me to workout when the kids were up.
But yeah I did wake up early during Summer break to get my workout done before my husband left for work, and often before everyone got up, so that's certainly doable if you want it enough.
Ya I've got limited space too. My kids always have the living room full of toys! My oldest will start preschool this fall and I've got a 2 yr old so I guess things will get easier when their both school age.0 -
Hi ladies!! I was wondering how y'all make time for kids, housework and trying to stay or get fit?? It's all so exhausting! I'm trying to walk on treadmill during naptime, (that is when my kids do take naps) I have a lot of weight to lose and it just seems impossible when I have all this stuff to do with kids, cleaning the house cooking meals etc.
Your kids will not be this age forever. No parent does everything all the time absolutely perfectly. Everyone has priorities or gets help.
You might do short workouts or do it before kids wake up, after, while your partner is home, teach your kids to do their own thing for 20-30 minutes- set a timer so they know when you are available again, do it with your kids, go to a gym with child care, drop the kids with grandparents or a playdate. You could wear a pedometer and increase your steps. There are lots of short workouts on you tube for free. Put on music and dance with your kids while you clean. Get your partner to do more around the house. Hire a teenager to help with the kids or the house. Put food in a slow cooker, double recipes so you don't cook all the time.
When my dd was small I found walking based workouts to be the easiest exercise because interuptions weren't as big of a deal.0 -
I lift weights, primarily and workout at home. I do a 4 day split routine. My kid is in preschool 3 days/week and I get up & get into my workout gear first thing in the morning. After drop off I workout, usually an hour. I also work at home those days in the afternoon until pick up and a little after dinner. On days she's home I set her up on her kindle in her room across the hall. She plays educational games or does art projects. Weekends my husband is around to help. I usually have dinner planned out and I use the crock pot a lot. Housework, well that's not the most important thing to me. I try to keep the house picked up as I go. Kitchen cleaned each night & vacuum & bathroom cleaning on the weekend.0
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you lose weight in the kitchen.
you do not need to workout to lose weight.
you can always put them in a stroller and go for a walk, too. ive seen double strollers at thrift stores for cheap. i bought one for a friend for around $20 a few years back.0 -
I meant to say, too, I eat at a small deficit. My routine is consistent & so is the weight loss.0
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I play at the park with the kids. It may be in a kids' park but it's still running, body weight stuff. And fun!
The hard part is this time of year when it's -2* outside. Squats with a kid on my shoulders only does so much.0 -
I SAH with my 3 year old, 15 month old and I watch a six month old four days a week. I do a variety of things to get exercise in. Usually I'll do a quick morning cardio session while my 3 YO tries to follow along (super cute). Then all three nap in the afternoon and I try to do another quick work-out. And then sometimes I'll do another quick one at night after they go to bed. I just do 10-20 minutes at a time and I haven't had a problem fitting them in.0
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Hey, I'm a mom of 3. None of my kids nap. Only one is in school. I have a short term goal and a long term goal.. Im eating healthy but Im finding it hard to find the time or energy to workout... Im beyond exhausted. I have a 5 and 3 year old at home and Im constantly doing something cleaning something or feeding someone.... How do you find me time???
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Oh, I meant to add that the baby will watch me from his bumbo seat while I exercise and he enjoys it. I don't ever try when the 15 month old is up though, I'd just be tripping over her the whole time.0
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i split workout out into 15 min sessions. the winter is harder cause we are all inside. but i just push everything to the edges of the family room to do a video workout. i usually do 15 mins during nap and/or after bed time. i pick up here and there threw out the day with the majority of the heavy stuff once they are in bed. i don't have any hand weights but household chores take care of that, with carrying a 22 lb 1 year old and lifting her 35 lb brother and carrying 40 lb bags of wood pellets up from the basement everyday the 5 lb weights are like nothing (so i did not buy any) and i haven't convinced myself to spend the money for heavier weights. plus we have a small hobby farm so carrying animal feed is also 25-50 lbs when that has to be moved.
i haven't been able to fit a workout in in 3 days with appointments and stuff going on but running around doing errands and loading and un loading kids i would think qualifies as being active that day. most of the work is in the kitchen, i plan my day the day prior so i know exactly what i am eating if i have any wiggle room and do not end up grabbing something just because it's 1 p.m. and i am now just getting lunch and grab what is easiest.
when the weather improves, go for walks. and it took me a long time to do this but your house does not have to be spotless. i would spend hours every night cleaning everything once the kids went to bed, but they don't care and it is destroyed once they get up. make a list of what you consider the essential chores (for me it's dishes, and laundry and i do like the kitchen picked up-which i sometimes do while making dinner. i may not get to the floors every day, but that's alright) and worry about them every day/night and if you have time for other chores than do them, and if not they can wait till tomorrow. eventually when the kids are older you can clean all day.
i have 4 kids ages 6, almost 5, 3, 1. and my hubby is gone a lot for work. plus we have animals which also need attention (food/water) every day. not all of my kids nap but i still enforce "quiet time" where they have to lay quietly or play quietly in their rooms, because frankly i'd go insane without a break in the middle of the day. and most days i can find at least 15 mins to workout, if that's what i want to use that time for.0 -
If they are about 2 & 4, they are the perfect age to be a part of your routine, and to start building good habits with them.
It won't be anything major, but the great thing about kids that age is that they are non-judgmental. Working out with mom is just fun.
Try making an exercise game out of cleaning up the living room - like, squat down, pick up a toy, stretch up on your toes and lift it over your head, do a funny walk to the toybox to drop it, then a funny crawl back to the middle of the room to start all over again. They might only be good for doing this a few times in a row, but if you keep mixing it up, they'll just think it's a game. And you'll get a cleaner living room. Win!
When the weather is warm, go to the park and follow them around the play equipment, trying to do everything that they do. If it is close enough to walk there, then don't drive - push a stroller.
Go for a walk, either outside or even just around your house, doing animal walks. Super-long giraffe steps, big heavy elephant steps, little tiny mouse steps, quick bunny hops, big kangaroo jumps. We used to do this down the sidewalk when I had my two and a couple of extras, and it literally never got old for the kids.
Around your house, do squats in the kitchen, do pushups against the wall or counter while they are in the bathtub, and make a point of making things more work for yourself (like take three trips up and down the stairs even though you could technically carry everything in one trip).
I hope some of that is helpful. 0 -
1stplace4health wrote: »It's really not about the workout. Housework is 10 times more cardiovascular than standard exercise. It's the food choices and calories that really matter.
Honestly I lost weight when my kids started preschool but what helped me the most is finding a good gym with babysitting but they had to be old enough not to scream every time I dropped them off (I tried when they were 2.5... no dice). But having a treadmill at home must definitely help.
In the end though you can't outrun a bad diet, however I'd never have lost the weight I lost without exercise, as it lets me eat more, and I have a big appetite.
Mine were fine at the Y nursery from 18 months up.So to the OP, it depends on the kid and the gym.0 -
I only have one, and he's 3 so it may not be the same for you. I'm in CA so the weather has been really nice so we like to go outside. He takes his bike and we walk around the neighborhood. Yesterday we did 2 miles, today just 1. But occasionally he likes to copy me and do squats, jumping jacks, etc. include the kids to your exercises. I bet you they'll enjoy it.0
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This year all my kids are in school full time but the last few years I would wake up an hour and a half before them and get an hour of exercise in at the gym. Then we bought home equipment and I did the same. I found I had more energy and I'd be able to run circles around them. My kids never really napped but always were in bed by 8 so I had plenty of sleep at night. As far as the house we always cleaned up after ourselves as a rule. This works really well in my home with 5 kids. Don't get me wrong, some days the dust gets missed or the floor doesn't get swept but the house is picked up and everything has a place. Especially the dust0
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So I apologize if this seems rude, but why is this posed as a SAHM issue. The fact is that anyone with kids knows it can be challenging to find time for a workout it really comes down to wether you make it a priority or not. I work, so I get up an hour and a half before my kids and husband do so I can make it to the gym and back. The it's getting everyone up and ready for their day It sucks but I have chosen to make it a priority to work out so I do.
To be honest, the brief periods (a year here and there) when I was a SAHM (and this meant a new baby in the family) I was at my lowest weight. Since when working, I still have all the chores, taking care of the kids, night wakings etc, plus 9 hours work+commute. Not saying that staying at home is easy, but it definitely gives a ton more opportunity to cook, eat a healthy diet and exercise.0 -
I love to use my step at home, but my two 3 year olds thinks it's fun to take over and not let me use it. It's apparently their stage!!0
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Get a Fitbit it will show you how active you are during the day0
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Thanx everyone for the advice! I guess we just need to get in our groove to make it all work.0
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I home school three kids, ages 6, 7, and 14. I work out three or four days a week, we volunteer three days a week, and I write news articles and run the house. You decide it's going to happen and you make it happen. When I started this, I was also working full time and going to college myself. Make your decision and make yourself accountable.0
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I found it really hard to get exercise consistently when my kids were pre-preschool. When I am exercising I need to get into the headspace to do it and having my kids asking me to do things for them or trying to work the exercise into daily tasks didn't work for me until I had already got my groove. Things I found that helped were: having a big jogger stroller that could hold both the older ones (converts to biketrailer too) and walking trails etc., and getting a gym membership for a place with childcare. I also did strollerfit and mom and baby bootcamp. Using naptime never worked for me, I need that time to decompress and relax. Try to get the exercise in while they are awake in the beginning, trying to change your lifestyle is hard work, you can rest or do something for you during naps. Now that my kids are older they love doing P90X3 and Brazil Butt lift with me hahahaha.....my school age boys think that it's hilarious. My daughter loves yoga. Once you are in your groove with exercising consistently the constant interruptions of motherhood won't feel as frustrating when you are exercising :-)0
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If you can afford a gym membership go very early in the morning before everyone wakes. I am usually at the gym no later than 5:30. It is my me time to zone out and sweat. By the time I get home everyone is jist waking and I get the kids breakfast together. I go to bed no later than 10 or so to ensure I have some energy. If you really want to workout and work on your fitness as others have mentioned, you will make it your priority. I also do yoga daily at home and sometimes my kids do it with me as well or I wait until they are in bed which is around 8:30. We have to make the time.0
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